PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Ryan Erickson of www.fetchphototruck.com is a mobile, come-to-you dog photographer in Denver, Colorado, USA. His mobile pet photography studio was custom-built on a towable trailer where he shoots and does same-day in-person-sales sessions for his dog owner clients.

I'm always looking for terrific guests to feature on the podcast, and I love receiving a recommendation like this one from Pet Photographer and business coach Alex Cearns.

In her email, she says:

Hey Andrew

I have a podcast guest to recommend; he runs Fetch Photo Truck in Denver, Colorado.

He was previously a wedding photographer who wanted to move into pet photography and work for himself.

His truck is a custom trailer that looks incredible inside (and out!).

He hit six figures working solo and is a heck of a nice guy!

Alex.

I went and did some searching and can confirm… his photography is fantastic. The trailer looks terrific, and his clients love him!

In this interview, Ryan shares the ins and out, good and bad of  Fetch Photo Truck, the mobile pet photography business.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

When you're working for somebody else, you're working for somebody else's dream, right? So there's only so much growth that you can realistically kind of expect. – Ryan Erickson

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

Outsource whatever you can. I outsource my editing. I realized early on that I had a vision of what I wanted my photos to be, but, it took me too long to do a not so great a job. So I realized early on, I need to hire somebody else that knows what they're doing and can do this efficiently, and pay them to do it. And that was one of the better decisions that I made early on. – Ryan Erickson

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Ryan shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

I wanted people to know exactly what they're getting into because I'm asking them to make a lot of decisions on the spot. I never want people to feel pressured and overwhelmed. The goal is for them to feel fully educated and prepared going into that day, having a good idea already of what they want. – Ryan Erickson

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Ryan or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

Last October and November were my best months of 2023 and October was a $24,000 month, and I did 18 sessions that month. And November was also an 18 session month. So having 31 on the books for October is big. I'm trying not to get too excited or too overwhelmed. It's part of the joy of having your own business, right? – Ryan Erickson

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

We're a dime-a-dozen as wedding photographers. Everybody and their sister knows a wedding photographer, so it felt really exciting to specialize in something, and say, ‘I'm a dog photographer.' – Ryan Erickson

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

The Photography Exhibition Masterclass will show you how to fill your calendar with high-value clients by leveraging the power of exhibitions to showcase your work and grow your business.

This course, led by Katie, who has successfully run these exhibitions year after year, provides step-by-step guidance on creating an engaging exhibition that drives bookings, boosts sales, and builds lasting relationships with clients.

In this training, you’ll discover proven marketing strategies, how to design a luxury experience, and practical techniques for turning attendees into loyal clients.

This course is for you if you’re a photographer looking to elevate your business and attract new clients through a profitable, results-driven exhibition.

All the details are here –>> https://learn.photobizx.com/exhibition-marketing-for-photographers-registration

Where: Zoom (Link provided upon registration)

Why: To book out your calendar with clients who are eager to invest in your work and share their excitement with everyone they know.

Cost: $97 (Price doubles after the live training)

Early bird bonus: $100 off any other existing PBX course (valid through 2024).

If you’re ready to transform your photography business with a full calendar of clients who value your work, this exhibition strategy could be your perfect marketing campaign.

All the details are here: https://learn.photobizx.com/exhibition-marketing-for-photographers-registration

Fetch Photo Truck Website

Fetch Photo Truck on Instagram

Fetch Photo Truck on Facebook

Episode 524: Alex Cearns – Photography business rules for success and profit

Thanks for tuning in, and a big thanks to Ryan for sharing his journey in creating a successful mobile pet photography business. Ryan’s passion for capturing special moments is clear, from the Fetch Photo Truck idea to working solo. His insights offer great tips on adapting to change, connecting with clients, and providing a unique experience for pet owners.

And I say, ‘Hey, I keep my weekends reserved for market events and also to help maintain my sanity. That's one of the big benefits of being your own boss. That was really important to me. And when I had this idea, I was like, I know what it's like to work on those Saturdays. And if I know, if I make Saturdays available, that's all clients are going to want. People respect that. When you're making a dentist appointment, you don't ask your dentist to come on on Sunday to do your appointment, right? So if this is important to you, if this experience is important to you, you can go in two hours late to work. You can call in, or you can leave two or three hours early kind of thing, if this is, if this is something that's important to you. – Ryan Erickson

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 587: Ryan Erickson – Fetch Photo Truck – A Mobile Pet Photography Business Wagging its Way to Success appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Welcome to part one of a two-part series, where we dive into everything you need to know about buying or leasing a photography studio. Whether you're considering owning a space or working from one, this episode will guide you through the essential considerations before making that big decision of signing a lease and paying rent or taking out a loan to purchase your studio space.

I'm thrilled to have three incredible guests joining us today, all from different genres of photography.

We have Alex Cearns from Houndstooth Studio in Western Australia. Alex is a highly accomplished pet photographer, published author, and successful studio operator with extensive experience in multiple studio spaces. You may remember her from episodes 290 and 524 of the PBX podcast.

We also welcome Elle Payne, a newborn photography business owner and mother of two. Elle is one of the biggest sponges when it comes to taking in business concepts and ideas and, more importantly, her skill in quickly implementing, testing, and refining those ideas to see what works. Elle was featured in episode 429 of the PhotoBizX podcast.

Finally, the incredibly talented Michael Anthony is joining us from the USA. Michael is an experienced wedding and portrait photographer who is building a new studio from scratch after leasing and working from his first studio. He was previously featured in episode 446 of the podcast.

Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just starting to consider your own studio space, this episode is packed with valuable insights from some of the best in the business. Let’s get started with this photography studio special on buying and leasing advice for photographers.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

You can really just make it fit what you need. Look at your business practices. If you are doing online purchase appointments on Zoom or you know different mechanism, you don't need a room for that…So I think just make sure that it meets your needs really clearly. And I think if I could do it differently, I would just really look at streamlining business practices before I went got a whole house that was costing me $4,000 a month that I didn't really use. – Alex Cearns

If you're going to invest money in your business, your business has to be making you that money to invest in the first place. – Alex Cearns

I think it's important to specify that a studio to me is just this empty room. If I just need a shooting space like what Elle said, you can have a backdrop stand with a backdrop on it, some paper roll and a light on the stand and you know, maybe one or two other lights, that's all you need at the bare minimum. – Alex Cearns

A business only runs as fast as you put your foot on that accelerator. – Alex Cearns

Houndstooth Studio

Alex Cearns Consulting Website

Houndstooth Studio on Instagram

Snappy Women Facebook Group

InspHIGHER with Alex Cearns Facebook Group

Down to Earth Photo Breaks with Alex Facebook Group

Episode 290: Alex Cearns – How to build the countries most successful pet photography business

Episode 524: Alex Cearns – Photography business rules for success and profit

Budget 10% of your overall revenue for rent. – Elle Payne

I'm not a creative person. I can't photos outside. I can't take photos in somebody's home with different lighting. I am just not good at it. I needed a space that I could set up and I could control everything so that everything is the same for every session…I just want to sell the same thing over and over again. – Elle Payne

I have hired nurses just to keep with the theme. I wanted to, rather than teach a photographer how to do newborn photography, I would rather teach somebody who knows newborns very well how to actually take photos because like I said, I don't do anything creative. So it's just I will teach them how to take those photos. At least then I'm not worried about the babies and my staff. I've hired nurses that actually taught me how to be a nurse. So now I've taught them how to be a photographer. – Elle Payne

Always Belle Photography

Always Belle Photography on Instagram

Always Belle Photography on Facebook

Episode 429: Elle Payne – When business and service become the motivator over great photography

Location is very, very important when you're choosing a studio space. I've learned that, you know, because in the first studio we chose was just something close to our house. Close to your home doesn't always mean it's going to be a great location and accessible for clients to get in. As you know, I was in Los Angeles, it's the traffic capital of the world. You know, so being outside of the city where all of my clients had to come out to us, that was a little bit of a hike and I can tell you guarantee you we lost a lot of business because of it. – Michael Anthony

My advice would be to put your studio in a place where your ideal client is going to be. – Michael Anthony

My business would not be where it is today if we didn't have that dedicated space to be able to do sales appointments out of and be able to, you know, transform our business from mainly a wedding studio into a portrait studio. – Michael AnthonyIf you can find a place that's pretty much done already, that would be the biggest recommendation I could find for any photographers listening because it will save you a ton of money over doing a new build. – Michael Anthony

Michael Anthony Website

Michael Anthony on Instagram

Michael Anthony on Facebook

Michael Anthony on TikTok

Episode 446: Michael Anthony – How to build a seriously successful wedding photography business

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Alex, Elle and Michael shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Alex, Elle and Michael or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Thank you again for tuning in, and a big thanks to Alex, Elle, and Michael for sharing their valuable insights on building successful photography studios. From navigating the challenges of moving to a dedicated space to managing hidden costs and adapting to evolving client needs, their experiences offer invaluable guidance for anyone looking to take their studio business to the next level.

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 586: Photography Studio Special – Studio buying and leasing advice for photographers appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Michael Cassidy from www.mikecassidyphotography.com is a US-based boudoir photographer who’s been in business for almost 15 years. His main focus these days is creating high-end boudoir gifts for brides, whether it’s for weddings, anniversaries, or even a Christmas surprise.

His work is stunning, and I couldn’t wait to dive into his business and uncover how it all works.

But what caught my attention—and why I had to get him on the podcast—was when Michael asked if I knew about the growing challenges facing women's photographers in the age of AI.

From Adobe’s restrictions on editing boudoir-style images, to Instagram’s AI censoring women photographers, and Google’s image bots cracking down on boudoir photography websites—it’s all creating massive hurdles.

In this interview, we chat about Michael’s journey, his stunning work with brides, and how he’s navigating these AI challenges while building a thriving luxury boudoir photography business.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

There are more people now who are more interested in the business of photography than maybe the art of photography. To separate yourself, you have to be pretty goddamn special in the photos that you can create. – Michael Cassidy

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Michael shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

Success is a trailing factor, not a leading one. If you have great systems and technical ability, the money comes. – Michael Cassidy

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Michael or want to say thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

Over the past few years, Google too has started using image recognition technology…they are also looking at all the images on your website and making judgments about you based on those images. – Michael Cassidy

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

There’s a very big difference between photos that focus on the sexuality of a woman and those that focus on beauty. It’s subtle but huge. In boudoir photography, the focus should be on a woman’s beauty. – Michael Cassidy

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here is a recent email I received…

★★★★★  Such a great perspective shift!

Via email from Scottish photographer for small weddings, Kristin Sharp, in Glasgow, Scotland, on September 25th, 2024.

Andrew

You taught me the value of being present with my kids almost 6 years ago.

You phoned me when I was at my lowest ebb. Not only did I listen to your advice, I changed my entire business approach.

And every time i read a post online from another parent running their own business and having kids, I pass on the advice you gave me and tell them to give themselves permission to change their business to suit what they really value. 

I see the changes I made as my real success. Burn out for the business isn't worth the quality of time I get with my own three kids.

The nights are long, the years are fast. 

I regret only what I haven't done with my kids. 

But there's always time.

Thanks for the reminder.

And I will never forget the impact (no pun intended!) you made on me. Your advice changed my life.

Michael Cassidy Photography Website

Michael Cassidy on Instagram

Michael Cassidy on YouTube

Michael Cassidy on Facebook

Thank you again for tuning in, and a big thanks to Michael for sharing his valuable insights on how he’s built a thriving luxury boudoir photography business, navigating AI restrictions and adapting to industry changes—all while staying true to his passion and delivering an unforgettable experience for his clients.

Social media has changed photography dramatically. Everybody's an expert now, and new photographers really have to be careful about who they follow. – Michael Cassidy

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 585: Michael Cassidy – Navigating AI Restrictions and Building a Luxury Boudoir Photography Business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Craig Peterman of www.petermanphotovideo.com is a wedding photographer and videographer based in Phoenix, Arizona with over a decade of experience.

Over the past two years he has successfully generated over $200,000 annually in revenue and is on track for $300k this year.

His work has been featured on The Knot and Style Me Pretty, and is a mixture of natural light with vibrant dessert colours with some black and white edits.

Here's why I'm most interested in learning more from Craig…

I see a nice looking, easy to navigate website, great photography, social media accounts that are ticking along – he has close to 60k followers on Instagram – but nothing jumping out as an obvious reason for success.

There is no aggressive marketing, special offers, or specific online ads, and his website doesn't rank highly in search for major keywords.

How is he achieving the success he is?

In this interview, learn how to build a $300K wedding photography business without aggressive marketing strategies or pushy sales techniques.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

My unique selling proposition, is selling high quality luxury service at a fair price. You know, something that can attract the masses. So, I'm not I'm not pricing couples out immediately. – Craig Peterman

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Craig shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

Put yourself in many places as you can. Invest wisely in your ads and see where that leads you. – Craig Peterman

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Craig, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

The “40 Over 40” Campaign Masterclass helps portrait photographers attract high-value clients by focusing on women over 40, a powerful and often underserved demographic.

Led by Laurie Brown, who has successfully run these campaigns multiple times, the course provides step-by-step guidance on creating a luxury experience that boosts client satisfaction, generates referrals, and significantly increases profits.

You will learn marketing and pricing strategies and how to create lasting relationships with clients.

This training is perfect for photographers seeking to elevate their business with a proven, profitable campaign.

All the details are here –>> https://learn.photobizx.com/40over40/

Here's what you'll learn…

When: The live training is on September 26th 2024 @ 7:00am AEDT.

You will have access to the recording, stand-alone course and any downloadables after the live training has been delivered by Laurie.

Click here for your local time.

Where: Zoom (I'll provide a link once you register)

Why: To fill your calendar with fantastic clients who love what you do and leave raving about you to everyone they know.

Cost is $197 and doubles after the live training.

Early bird bonus: $100 off any other existing PBX Course (to be used in 2024).

All the details are here: https://learn.photobizx.com/40over40/

If you want a full calendar of high-value portrait clients, this could be your perfect marketing campaign. 

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

I don't offer a discount. I will say this though, if a couple has a budget that they want to start with, I'll work with them. I mean, it's not worth losing a sale over 500 bucks or $1,000. Sometimes you just gotta make it happen. – Craig Peterman

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Respond to your clients immediately, within 24 hours at the very most. There's too many vendors out there and photographers that wait way too long to respond back. I respond back immediately with an email letting them know ‘Thank you for contacting. Can we set up a meeting?' And we kind of take it from there. So, yes, email responses. The first thing if I don't get a response back after that initial email response, and about three to four days I will give them a call to see if they're still interested. – Craig Peterman

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Craig Peterman Website

Craig Peterman on Instagram

Craig Peterman on Facebook

Craig Peterman on Tiktok

Craig can help you with building a profitable photography business

Thank you again for tuning in, and a big thanks to Craig for sharing his valuable insights on how he has been able to build a $300K wedding photography business without aggressive marketing strategies or pushy sales techniques.

If you're going to do a zoom meeting with a couple, don't just wing it. Prepare for it. Have a plan of what you're going to talk about because that does translate really well across the couples. They remember that. And if they're talking to five different photographers, and you don't have anything memorable about you, they're not going to remember you. – Craig Peterman

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 584: Craig Peterman – Build a $300K Wedding Photography Business Without Aggressive Marketing appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Steve Tepp of www.rightsclick.com is a seasoned copyright expert and co-founder of RightsClick® — a company on the front lines, protecting the rights of photographers and other creators where they say you can turn copyright infringement Into income.

He has an extensive background in IP law and started his career as an attorney for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, then worked at the U.S. Copyright Office, where he handled major international cases, including one against China.

He also led intellectual property efforts at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce before starting his own consultancy, Sentinel Worldwide.

In addition to working in the field, he teaches copyright law at George Washington University and continues to be a key voice in the fight for creative rights.

In this interview, Steve shares everything a photographer needs to know about copyright and protecting your images.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

Everyone who's trying to make a business as a photographer should be paying attention to their copyright rights. Everyone. All the way down to even just the man or woman on the street, who happens to pull out their phone and snap a photo of a newsworthy event, if they think that there's value in that photograph, then they have copyright rights at the moment they've snapped that image. – Steve Tepp

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Steve shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

In order to be eligible for statutory damages, you must have registered with the copyright office before the infringement began. Not before you discovered it, before it began. – Steve Tepp

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Steve, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

The “40 Over 40” Campaign Masterclass helps portrait photographers attract high-value clients by focusing on women over 40, a powerful and often underserved demographic.

Led by Laurie Brown, who has successfully run these campaigns multiple times, the course provides step-by-step guidance on creating a luxury experience that boosts client satisfaction, generates referrals, and significantly increases profits.

You will learn marketing and pricing strategies and how to create lasting relationships with clients.

This training is perfect for photographers seeking to elevate their business with a proven, profitable campaign.

All the details are here –>> https://learn.photobizx.com/40over40/

Here's what you'll learn…

When: The live training is on September 26th 2024 @ 7:00am AEDT.

You will have access to the recording, stand-alone course and any downloadables after the live training has been delivered by Laurie.

Click here for your local time.

Where: Zoom (I'll provide a link once you register)

Why: To fill your calendar with fantastic clients who love what you do and leave raving about you to everyone they know.

Cost is $197 and doubles after the live training.

Early bird bonus: $100 off any other existing PBX Course (to be used in 2024).

All the details are here: https://learn.photobizx.com/40over40/

If you want a full calendar of high-value portrait clients, this could be your perfect marketing campaign. 

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

Registration is per work. So, once you register a particular image, that image is registered forever or for the rest of the life of the copyright. But if you take more images, you've got to register those images. – Steve Tepp

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Everyone who's listening, who is a US based author, if you have not registered your work with the US Copyright Office, you cannot go to federal court to enforce your rights. If you file a lawsuit, it will be dismissed out of hand for failure to register. That is an absolute prerequisite for US authors in the US. – Steve Tepp

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here are the latest reviews…

★★★★★ The best $20 you'll ever spend

Via Google by Morris County, New Jersey family and pet photographer Stephanie Blum, in the USA on September 12th, 2024.

I listen to Andrew's podcast every Monday. It's become part of my Monday morning ritual. 

He is one of the absolute best interviewers. 

I've listened to many other photography podcasts but his provides the most value and education around.

He asks great questions and I learn something every episode.

I highly recommend paying for the premium membership. It's the best $20 you'll ever spend.

★★★★★ This photography podcast makes you a better runner! 

Via Google by Leigh Woolford, who specialises in Melbourne kindergarten photography, in Australia on September 13th, 2024.

This might be a strange measurement of how much I value these podcasts… Went for a 4k run this morning, put the headphones in and ended up running 6 because I had to finish listening!

Not only can I confirm Andrew has helped me become a 1.5x better runner, these podcasts are proving invaluable in the pursuit of creating a better Photography business!

★★★★★ Directly contributed to the growth and success of my photography business.

Via Google by Ponte Vedra Beach & Jacksonville headshot photographer Chris Cottrell, in Florida, USA, on September 13th, 2024.

Photobizx has been an invaluable resource for me as a photographer. Andrew’s weekly episodes offer a wealth of actionable advice, from marketing strategies to how-to courses. His ability to break down complex topics into digestible pieces makes it easy for both new and experienced photographers to benefit.

Over the years, I’ve gained countless insights from Photobizx that have directly contributed to the growth and success of my photography business. The interviews with industry professionals provide unique perspectives and real-world examples.

I highly recommend Photobizx to anyone looking to take their photography business to the next level.

Thank you, Andrew, for your dedication to helping photographers thrive!

★★★★★ Directly contributed to the growth and success of my photography business.

Via Google by Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, and Hunter dog photographer Kelly Munce in Australia on September 14th, 2024.

I took the book projects course with Photo Biz Xposed, and it was packed with valuable information from both Katie and Andrew.

Andrew has been incredibly helpful even after the course, always available to answer any questions I’ve had.

Photo Biz Xposed is a fantastic resource.

RightsClick Website

RightsClick on Facebook

RightsClick on Instagram

Thank you again for tuning in, and a big thanks to Steve for sharing his valuable insights on copyright and photography. I hope that after listening, you feel more empowered and informed about protecting your work from unauthorised use and understand how to seek compensation or take action if your photography is used without permission.

The copyright law in most countries has been written in a way to give the copyright owner as strong a hand as possible, especially against willful infringement. – Steve Tepp

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 583: Steve Tepp – Copyright Essentials for Photographers appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Arica Lipp of www.aricalipp.com caught my attention when a video of her behind-the-scenes shoot of a young dancer was circulating on social media.

The photo looked, literally, like a painting, but when you see the video, you realise there was paint involved—it was on the young girl in the photo. You can see the photo in the show notes below to appreciate how amazing this photographer/artist is.

The comments that followed that video and image in the PBX Member's Group went like this…

I dug a little deeper to find a super-talented US-based photographer who has won a ton of awards… over 100! Who photographs headshots, portraits, seniors and dance photography clients.

Take one look at her website and portfolio, and you'll see a photographer who truly knows her craft. I was guessing and hoping there was a fantastic business behind this incredible photographer, I was not disappointed.

In this interview, learn how to combine your passions to build a thriving photography business.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

The purpose of niching in the beginning is to become memorable in the minds of a consumer, in the minds of your community, in your market. When you have a specific style, and it's consistent, you're more quickly remembered in the minds of people and viewers. – Arica Lipp

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

I had to get over the fear of how I look in front of the camera. Because I can't ask my clients to do something I'm not willing to do myself. It's just not right. We all know that. So I put myself out there. – Arica Lipp

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Arica shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

I'm going to value my work and even though it feels gut wrenchingly difficult, I'm just going to do it. And it gets easier. And then the more work you put in, the more you value that time and effort. – Arica Lipp

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Arica, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

My clients will come by just to say ‘hi' a lot. And I'm okay with that. And that's what I honestly feel is the secret of the success. When you treat people like they should be treated, they will come to you. AI is not going to take care of them the way I'm going to take care of them and it comes down to that. – Arica Lipp

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here is the latest review…

★★★★★  Ticks All The Boxes!

Via Google by Adelaide pet photographer Sarina Veliz, in Australia on September 3rd, 2024.

Andrew is an amazing educator. I came across him a few years ago when I did a short course on video creation – I didn’t even know he was a photography expert! But boy I am glad I discovered him.

He is also a fantastic podcast host, his interview style is fun and easy to listen to – I struggle sometimes finding podcasts that are both engaging, educational and have some light entertainment – his ticks all those boxes!

The thing that really stood out for me is that there is no problem too small for Andrew to jump right in, have a chat and figure things out.

Also I randomly replied to one of his newsletters one day and of course he responded straight back! Just an all-around great guy!

Arica Lipp Website

Arica Lipp on Facebook

Arica Lipp on Instagram

Episode 012: Jerry Ghionis – Cooking Up Wedding Photography Success, Don’t Get Caught in the Fire

Episode 145: Peter Hurley – How To Survive and Thrive as a Headshot Photographer

Episode 087: Sue Bryce – How to Make Real Money From Your Photography Business Right Now

Episode 448: Megan DiPiero – Go high end with your photography business or get ready to fail

Thanks again for listening and for Arica's sharing her journey from starving artist to thriving photography business owner by combining her love of dance, painting, photography and business.

We as photographers had that power to create these wonderful things that will keep giving to people that we created it for. And I wouldn't miss that. And I wouldn't feel like me if I stopped serving people to that extent. And it fulfills me. It fulfills me as an artist, fulfills me as a human, being able to connect with other humans. Headshots and branding only takes me so far artistically. There is a limit to the artistry. – Arica Lipp

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 582: Arica Lipp – From Paint to Profit: Building a Thriving Photography Business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Gary Williams, of www.garywilliams.photography, has been published in the New York Times, had his photography displayed in galleries around the world, shown on billboards across London, and describes himself as a London-based documentary photographer.

If you visit his website, it’s clear that his primary focus is on weddings and portraits. However, if you explore further, you’ll find he also specialises in commercial, event, and headshot photography.

Recently, he completed a four-year project documenting and celebrating the businesses and people of what he describes as London’s most charming street—Camden Passage—located not far from his home.

In an email, he mentioned that this project has been invaluable for developing his photography skills. It has also boosted his confidence in approaching and networking with people and has helped him attract new clients to his photography business.

Although his business is relatively new and his income modest, his work is outstanding. A project like this could be life-changing for you and your business. I hope you’re as eager to learn more as I am.

In this interview, learn how personal projects can boost your photography business.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

If there's one area of photography that I feel might be under threat from AI it's business and corporate headshots… And I thought, ‘I really want to be a photographer. I want to make my living from this. What else can I do?’ And I thought weddings and events. – Gary Williams

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

I found the value of personal projects has been incredible, both in terms of what I've learned, and my development as a photographer, and in my business. – Gary Williams

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Gary shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

I'm a big believer in doing things for the right reasons. You do it just because you love doing it. You do it for what is it right in front of you, which is the opportunity to to learn and to interact with interesting people and just to be a better photographer. And then if those other things come along, like credits or some work, then that's great. But I actually think if you do it for the right reasons, they usually do come along. – Gary Williams

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Gary, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

If you're tired of spending hours on social media to attract clients only to see minimal results.

Or you're ready to break free from the content creation grind and focus on other things.

Good news! Brianna's training will be a game-changer for you.

All the details are here –>> ​ https://learn.photobizx.com/session-3-ai-marketing-for-photographers-registration/

Here's what you'll learn…

     AI-Powered Lead Generation: Learn to identify your target audience with precision and create lead generation strategies that consistently deliver high-quality leads.

     Data-Driven Pricing: Master the art of setting profitable prices based on market research, cost analysis, and your unique value proposition, so you're always paid what you're worth.

     SEO Optimization with AI: Elevate your website's visibility and attract organic traffic by mastering AI-powered keyword research and content optimization strategies.

Essential AI Tools for Photographers: Discover additional AI tools that can streamline your workflow, enhance your online presence, and boost your overall efficiency.

The live training is on Thursday, September 5th, 2024, at 7:00 a.m. Sydney local time. Your local time is here.

Cost is $197 and doubles after the live training. 

Early bird bonuses… $100 off any other existing PBX Course.

All the details are here: https://photobizx.com/ai3

The future of photography marketing is here. Master AI before it all gets too hard.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

There are no shortcuts. There are no shortcuts. I wish there were and if somebody knows some tell me and save me a lot of time and trouble. Everything that I've done where I've had any measure of success, it's just work. It’s just doing it. It's just putting the time in. And those people who say, ‘Oh, I can't talk to anyone.’ Yes, she can. Just do it and keep doing it until you get better at it. – Gary Williams

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Gary Williams Website

Gary Williams on Instagram

The Little Book of Camden Passage

This is Camden Passage on Instagram

Thanks again for listening and for Gary's sharing his journey so far and uncovering how personal projects can boost your photography business in so many ways.

There's no secret. It's just do it. This is why I did all of those photographs for free and I still do for free this at home projects. I'll be doing it for years. Because the more I do, the better I get. – Gary Williams

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 581: Gary Williams – How Personal Projects Can Boost Your Photography Business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Brendan Taylor of Baby Art Studios and The TogPod CRM for photographers has appeared on the podcast twice, and both interviews were eye-opening gems and not to be missed, with so many good ideas shared on how to grow your photography business

In episode 502, Brendan hit hard with some home truths about running a successful photography business today. Trust me when I say he knows his numbers, marketing, business, and how to be profitable with a photography studio.

Then, in episode 557, he shared exactly how he and his team make incredible lead conversions from their marketing campaigns and how they lead these new clients to fantastic wall art sales. This episode also shares another eye-opening idea.

Since our last recording, Brendan has been nominated for best marketing campaign worldwide and overall entrepreneur of the year. Amazing stuff!

In his last interview, he hinted at a new CRM for photographers: The Tog Pod.

As the CRM is about to come to market, there has been a lot of chat in the Premium Members Group after good friend Elle Payne shared details of her beta testing of the product — which sounds like the solution of all solutions to running a photography business.

I asked Members to post any questions they'd like answered about the new CRM, and I'm thrilled to say I have Brendan Taylor, a past guest, owner of Baby Art Studios, and the man behind Tog Pod, with us for this episode.

In this interview, Brendan shares everything you need to know about TogPod, the new CRM that will revolutionise photography business.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

We have a saying here. We either automate, delegate or eliminate. When we're having business meetings and trying to figure out how we can improve what we're doing, we always go back to automate delegate and eliminate. – Brendan Taylor

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

Replying to reviews is very, very important. If somebody's going to leave you a review and take time out of their day to leave your review, you should take time out of yours to reply, to say, “Thank you very much.” – Brendan Taylor

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

9- 11% open rate on emails is the average. It's 98% for text messages. So if you’re not using text messages, you should be. – Brendan Taylor

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Brendan shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

One of our beta testers in one month, in July, within their whole pool of text messages, email costings, spent $431.16…But this person also had a $45,000 sales month. So you need to understand the size of this business for them to spend that amount. They're a big business. – Brendan Taylor

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Brendan, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

If you're tired of spending hours on social media to attract clients only to see minimal results.

Or you're ready to break free from the content creation grind and focus on other things.

Good news! Brianna's training will be a game-changer for you.

All the details are here –>> ​ https://learn.photobizx.com/session-3-ai-marketing-for-photographers-registration/

Here's what you'll learn…

     AI-Powered Lead Generation: Learn to identify your target audience with precision and create lead generation strategies that consistently deliver high-quality leads.

     Data-Driven Pricing: Master the art of setting profitable prices based on market research, cost analysis, and your unique value proposition, so you're always paid what you're worth.

     SEO Optimization with AI: Elevate your website's visibility and attract organic traffic by mastering AI-powered keyword research and content optimization strategies.

Essential AI Tools for Photographers: Discover additional AI tools that can streamline your workflow, enhance your online presence, and boost your overall efficiency.

The live training is on Thursday, September 5th, 2024, at 7:00 a.m. Sydney local time. Your local time is here.

Cost is $197 and doubles after the live training. 

Early bird bonuses… $100 off any other existing PBX Course.

All the details are here: https://photobizx.com/ai3

The future of photography marketing is here. Master AI before it all gets too hard.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If we've built something ourselves, then of course, we're not going to allow you to take our stuff out of the system and plug into another one. But any thing you've built yourself, you're more than welcome to take with you if you decide to leave. The plan is you won't leave because you'll love it so much. – Brendan Taylor

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Problem is, if you don't follow up, well, if you don't know how to pose a sale, if you're sending out emails and text messages and not turning that into business, then it's a lot of money to be spending. But the whole point of The Tog Pod and what we've built inside it, and the follow up systems and the ongoing support that we're going to give you in our community as well, is you're going to be able to spend $431 a month sending 3000 SMSs and 260 calls and messages, because we're going to help you generate the leads and bookings to warrant spending that amount. – Brendan Taylor

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

The Tog Pod

The Tog Pod Features

Baby Art Studio

Episode 502: Brendan Taylor – Facebook lives as a killer lead generator and some hard truths about business

Episode 557: Brendan Taylor – Photography business success all comes down to the follow up

Episode 429: Elle Payne – When business and service become the motivator over great photography

Go High Level

Thanks again for listening and for Brendan's candid answers to the all new CRM for photographers, TogPod and what we can look forward to with what sounds like an incredible piece of business operating software.

We're not doing the Bronze, Silver, Gold thing. You can have everything from the moment you're getting it. We're not holding anything back. And if it doesn't cost us any money, we're not charging you anything for either, as in, we're not charging you to have 10,000 email addresses stored or to send 1000 emails. You can have unlimited emails. If you're a person doing a photography course and you're uploading videos and stuff, unlimited video hosting. – Brendan Taylor

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 580: Brendan Taylor – The TogPod CRM Revolution… The Future of Photography Business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Venus Michael of www.profitfirstforphotographers.com and  www.one21accountability.com appeared on my radar via good friend of the podcast, John Glaser, who messaged me to say this…

You need to have Venus Michael on the podcast. She is my book keeper and she is a profit first professional and just published the Profit First for Photographers book.

I started doing profit first this year and it has completely changed my business!!!

I am no longer concentrating on the top line of my business but on the bottom line, and with her help and the methodology of profit first has transformed the profitability of my business.

The funny thing is I had a zoom call scheduled with Venus 2 years ago, after I read the original profit first book by Mike Michalowicz, and my accountant at the time talked me out of meeting with her because she said Profit First was a bad idea, but she had no idea what it really meant.

I REALLY wish I would have done that zoom 2 years ago. My business would be in such a different place right now!!!

I can't speak highly enough of Profit First and the fact that there is a version of the book written specifically for photographers is AWESOME!!!

Following that message and the release of her book… Profit First for Photographers — The definitive guide for photographers ready to escape the cycle of entrepreneurial poverty and achieve financial freedom, I had to get Venus for an interview.

In this episode, learn the concept behind profit first, how it applies to you and your photography business and how it will change your approach to money and profits and haw to apply it to your life.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

The idea of the book is literally to stop thinking of your business as a side hustle and treat it like an actual business, and to pay yourself. It is very important you pay yourself. – Venus Michael

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

It's better if you start this process when you're smaller, because you build a habit and you think about your goals, then once you start actually making six figures, you're like, ‘Oh, you know, I messed up.’ Or ‘I wish I would have known this earlier.’ ‘I wish I would have taken the call two years ago.’ – Venus Michael

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

When you are dealing with smaller revenues, you have to be a more precise in your expenses, and you don't have a lot that you can take home, but you may find that once you implement this system, you're taking home more than you did before, because you actually have a system that now you are watching your expenses, and you're paying attention to what's going on, instead of, you know, when your revenue is that low of 50, or it's a side hustle, you kind of get stuck in this trap of going back and forth, and you just keep reinvesting. – Venus Michael

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Venus shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

If you're ever sitting there thinking about your business and ‘Would I?’ Should I?’ or ‘Can I afford something?’ That needs to be a trigger of, ‘Do you need an account for that?’ You know, like, ‘Could I get my business to pay for my $10,000 bike?’ ‘Could I get my business to pay for the down payment of this house I want?’ Those were all triggers for ‘Let's get an account for that.’ – Venus Michael

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Venus, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

Once a quarter, you actually take a profit distribution, different from your owner's pay, because you are the business owner, you take a profit distribution. And how you figure that out is you take 50% half of whatever the balance is. If you have accumulated $1,000 in your profit account and it's distribution day, you actually go and take 500 out. You stick it in your pocket, you do something fun with it. Do not reinvest it into the business…Do not do that. Go do something fun. – Venus Michael

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

You make a conscious decision to take your profit first. – Venus Michael

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Profit First for Photographers Website

Venus Michael Website

One21 Account-Ability

Profit First for Photographers: Develop the Habits to Transform Your Photography Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Venus Michael on Amazon

You Need a Budget (YNAB)

Episode 538: John Glaser – Facebook Ads and what you need to be aware of when running yours

Thanks again for listening and for Venus' candid thoughts, ideas, and experience on how to apply the profit-first methodology and concepts to real and working photographers, no matter the size of their business.

Because there is so much AI coming at you and so much software coming at you, and the newest, greatest, latest CRM and all this stuff, you want to audit your software list at least once a quarter and ask yourself, ‘Am I using it, and do I get the value for it?’ So if they're charging you $97 and you're only using it 10% of the time, then maybe you're not getting the value for that, right? And if you're like, nope, not really getting the value, then you need to look for alternatives or just flat out cancel it. – Venus Michael

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 579: Venus Michael – How to apply profit first to your photography business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Sam Hollis builds websites for photographers and is an SEO specialist who popped up on my radar when premium member Adrienne Angelo suggested I listen to an episode of the “Shoot To The Top” podcast, where the discussion was focussed on utilising Google Maps to generate leads for your photography business.

Sam is the podcast co-host and runs a web design business with a difference—you pay for your website monthly with no upfront fees and no long-term commitment. If the website isn't working, you don't pay.

In addition to sharing his expertise to help with your SEO, I'm keen to hear his take on the recent nightmares for photographers, mainly in the UK, who have had their Google Business Profile flagged by another photographer and subsequently taken down.

In this interview, Sam shares how to generate photography leads with Google Maps and increase your overall search rankings.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

I select to service an area because the rules on Google are that if you have a pin, you've got to have a permanent signage and people have to come and see you. Effectively, it's like a shop or an office where somebody's always there in office hours and they can come in while the area is more people don't come and see you, you provide services to people within that area. – Sam Hollis

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

Then you want move up the rankings and there's quite a lot you can do. One of the most important is getting reviews. Lots of reviews and regularly. Keep getting them. It might be that you spent six months working hard got ton of reviews and then you stop that still isn't great if a year down the line all your reviews are a year old. – Sam Hollis

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

The only thing you have to be careful of is reciprocal links. So if you did the blog post, wrote about it and then she linked to your blog post, great. If you did the post and your post is also linking to her site and her sites linking to you, Google will go, “Hmmm, they’re just kind of scratching each other's backs,” and doesn't count it as powerfully as if she linked to you. – Sam Hollis

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Sam shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

Always link to the relevant page. Linking to your homepage usually is a bit confusing. If you're promoting something, make sure you've got a page about that very, very specific thing and send them to it. And you can also link within pages so it might be even an offer within your wedding's page and you can link to a specific location of the page. – Sam Hollis

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Sam, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

On Google Analytics, which you can plug into your website for free, you can literally see how long people are staying on your page and it gives you averages. But you know, if people are staying on for a minute or so that's pretty impressive. If people are staying on for 10 seconds, you've probably got a problem. So yeah, you can kind of look at how long have they stayed, so that's the first thing. And if they're staying for a short time, then what is there is not engaging or then they're just instantly not liking the look and they're leaving. So then that would be the first thing to work on. But if they were staying and they're still not clicking it means you're not offering them something they want. So you got to really look at your call to actions. – Sam Hollis

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

You've got to have a really clear story, really clear writing on your website that tells all of that story because that's what sets you apart. That's what makes it interesting. That's what people are engaging with. – Sam Hollis

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Website 4 Photographers

Sam Hollis on LinkedIn

Shoot to the Top Website

Shoot to the Top Podcast on Spotify

Shoot to the Top Podcast on Apple

Using Google Maps to get leads – Shoot To The Top Podcast

Thanks again for listening and for Sam's candid thoughts, ideas, and experience in generating more photography leads by utilising Google maps effectively and learning how to rank more effectively for your specific search terms.

In terms of photographers, it's really important to tell your story with words. So, I find lots of photographers think but their photographs are telling their story and telling what's going on. And to me they do that to some extent. But and other photographers will probably look at your pictures and see the technique and see the skills, but actually the general public won’t. – Sam Hollis

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon

The post 578: Sam Hollis – How to generate photography leads with Google Maps appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.